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Cabell County Schools elections (2016)

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Cabell County Schools Elections

General election date:
May 10, 2016
Enrollment (13–14):
12,335 students

Two of the five seats on the Cabell County Schools School Board were up for general election on May 10, 2016. In his bid for re-election, incumbent Garland "Skip" Parsons ran against four challengers—Scott Caserta, Gordon Ramey II, Austin Sanders and Denis Chapman.[1][2] Parsons won re-election, and Ramey won the open seat.[3]

Though the election was held at large, only two members from the same geographical district could be on the board during a given term. Parsons and Caserta were from District 4. Chapman and Ramey were from District 2, and Sanders was from District 1.[1][4] The three members of the board not up for election in 2016 were from Districts 1, 2, and 4. That meant that only one candidate from each of those districts could win election to the board, which pinned Parsons and Caserta against each other and Chapman and Ramey against each other.[2] Though Caserta received more votes than Ramey, he did not receive enough to defeat Parsons, which gave Ramey the chance to take the seat.[3][5]

This race followed the district's 2014 election by adding new blood to the board without defeating incumbents. See how else this race compared to past school board elections in both the district and the state in the "Election trends" section below.


Elections

Voter and candidate information

The Cabell County School Board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at large, but they represent different geographical districts. No more than two members elected from any district may serve on the board during a given term. Primary elections are not used in West Virginia school board elections.[4] Three seats were up for general election on May 13, 2014, and two seats were up for general election on May 10, 2016.[6]

Cabell County Schools logo.png

To run in this election, candidates had to file with the Cabell County Clerk's Office by January 30, 2016.[7] Candidates also had to be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or GED and be residents of the county. The cost to file for this election was $25.00.[8]

To vote in the election, district residents had to register by April 19, 2016.[7] Photo identification was not required to vote in West Virginia.

Candidates and results

At-large

Results

Cabell County Schools,
At-Large General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Garland "Skip" Parsons Incumbent 31.03% 8,924
Scott Caserta 24.02% 6,907
Green check mark transparent.png Gordon Ramey II 17.70% 5,089
Denis Chapman 16.79% 4,827
Austin Sanders 10.35% 2,976
Write-in votes 0.11% 33
Total Votes 28,756
Source: Cabell County Clerk, "2016 Primary Election Results," accessed May 27, 2016

Candidates

Garland "Skip" Parsons Green check mark transparent.png Scott Caserta Denis Chapman

Garland "Skip" Parsons.jpg

  • Incumbent
  • Member from 2010-2016
  • District 4 candidate
  • Retired asbestos supervisor

Scott Caserta.jpg

  • District 4 candidate
  • Carpenter, Special Metals/Precision Castparts Corp.

Placeholder image.png

Gordon Ramey II Green check mark transparent.png Austin Sanders

Placeholder image.png

  • District 2 candidate
  • Graduate, Marshall University
  • Lieutenant/Supervisor, Police service at the Huntington VA Medical Center
  • Retired Major/ O4, West Virginia Army National Guard

Austin Sanders.jpg

  • District 1 candidate
  • Student, American School of Correspondence

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: West Virginia elections, 2016

The Cabell County Schools election shared the ballot with the state's presidential primary election as well as primary elections for a seat on the U.S. House of Representatives and five state executive offices: governor, attorney general, treasurer, auditor and agriculture commissioner. Primary elections for one State Senate seat and two House of Delegates seats were also on the ballot.[7][9][10][11]

Key deadlines

The following dates were key deadlines for West Virginia school board elections in 2016:[7][12]

Deadline Event
January 11, 2016 - January 30, 2016 Candidate filing period
April 1, 2016 First campaign finance reporting deadline
April 19, 2016 Voter registration deadline
April 27, 2016 - May 7, 2016 Early voting period
April 29, 2016 Pre-primary campaign finance reporting deadline
May 10, 2016 Election Day
June 21, 2016 Post-primary campaign finance reporting deadline
July 1, 2016 Board members take office

Endorsements

Incumbent Garland "Skip" Parsons and challenger Denis Chapman were endorsed by The Herald-Dispatch and the Cabell County Education Association Political Action Committee.[13][14]

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

Campaign Finance Ballotpedia.png
See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2016

The Cabell County Clerk's Office does not publish and freely disclose school board candidate campaign finance reports. Ballotpedia requested this information, but the county did not provide it.

The first campaign finance reporting deadline for this election was April 1, 2016. If the total of all of a candidate's financial transactions did not exceed $500 at that time, a waiver could be submitted in lieu of the report. All candidates had to file a pre-primary report with the county clerk's office by April 29, 2016, and a post-primary report by June 21, 2016.[12][15]

Past elections

What was at stake?

2016

Issues in the election

Candidates discuss issues facing district

The five candidates in this race discussed the issues facing the district with The Herald-Dispatch, such as the budgetary issues involved with the reductions in force (RIFS) that the district announced in February 2016 due to an anticipated loss of $2.6 million for the 2016-2017 school year. They also discussed how to attract and retain good teachers and the qualifications they would like to see in a new superintendent, as Superintendent Bill Smith unofficially announced he would not renew his contract after 2017.[16]

Garland "Skip" Parsons

Every candidate agreed that the state of the budget would provide a number of obstacles for the board of education in the next school year. Incumbent Garland "Skip" Parsons spoke of his experience with the RIFs, saying they were one of the hardest decisions he had had to make as a board member. "When we are presented with RIFs and transfers, state law says that you must pass the superintendent recommendations," said Parsons. "I don't like the word 'must'; I should have the right to say yes or no."[16]

Parsons suggested that the board go through the budget line by line in order "to find what the school system can and can't do without," according to The Herald-Dispatch. Challenger Austin Sanders suggested looking at how money was spent on administrative positions. "We have far too many people at the administration level and not enough resources going toward the classrooms," said Sanders.[16]

Challenger Gordon Ramey II said that the budget had to be trimmed without affecting education quality or resources. "One way to help do this would be to form a committee of educators, parents and even some students and see what their thoughts are on how the money should be spent or how the budget could be reduced without lowering the quality of education," said Ramey.[16]

Scott Caserta

Challengers Denis Chapman and Scott Caserta both mentioned the role of the state in school district budgets. Caserta asserted that there should be no budget cuts for school districts, saying, "It's only a matter of prioritizing the needs of the state." Chapman suggested that the district communicate with the West Virginia State Legislature in order to "make sure they understand the problems they are causing not only in Cabell County Schools but in school systems across the state."[16]

On the topic of teacher retention and pay, the candidates agreed that the district's low pay had caused some teachers to leave the state for better jobs. "If we can't find a way to give our teachers a raise, then they are going to go to Ohio or Kentucky," Parsons said.[16]

Ramey said, "We need to be able to reward our teachers for the quality work they are doing, but we have to work within our budget to do so." Chapman agreed, saying that before pay was raised, the board would have to ensure there was money to continue that pay for years to come. "I think with good stewardship, the money could be found to do a modest pay increase," Chapman said.[16]

Austin Sanders

Some candidates expressed frustration at a state law that required board members to consider seniority when issuing RIFs or transfers, as the board had to do in February 2016. "Just because one teacher may have 35 years of experience, that doesn't mean they're a better teacher than someone that has worked one or two years," said Parsons. Sanders agreed, saying, "What we have to do is assess the teachers not based on the length that they have been employed, but assess what qualities they bring to the classroom."[16]

When discussing the qualifications he would like to see in the district's next superintendent, Parsons said, "Smith has been a very strong superintendent, and the person that we select to come after him will need to be strong as well." Ramey said he would look for a leader with integrity who could also be flexible and dependable. "Integrity is important because when that person reports back to the board, they need to be able to give us straight talk," said Ramey.[16]

"One of the most important things is that they are interested in continuing the current programs and can work on developing new education programs," Chapman said. He and Parsons agreed that the next superintendent would also have to be good with the public.[16]

"We need someone that is willing to get to know our school system and capable of taking a bold approach to the unique set of challenges our county schools face," Sanders said.[16]

Issues in the district

District middle school tries 'reverse suspension' method for misbehaving students

Cabell County's Huntington East Middle School started a new program for misbehaving students school officials call "reverse suspension." When a student gets into trouble for non-violent, non-verbally abusive behavior, that student's parents are invited to attend school, staying by their child's side for an entire day.[17]

The practice brought school suspensions down by two-thirds and cut bad behavior incidents in half, according to the school's Principal Frank Barnett. He said that approximately 30 families had participated in reverse suspensions in the 2015-2016 school year.[17]

School board unanimously approves layoffs and transfers

The Cabell County Board of Education unanimously approved 61 layoffs and 97 transfers for professional and service personnel in the 2016-2017 school year at a February 2016 meeting. The "reductions in force" (RIFs) were in response to a drop in state funding as well as a drop in student enrollment. Taken together, those funding measures created an anticipated loss of $2.6 million for the district's 2016-2017 school year. Cabell County Superintendent William Smith said the drop in student enrollment was a new problem for the district. Enrollment had increased for the past eight years, but for the 2015-2016 school year, it dropped by 160 students.[18][19]

At the time of the announcement, the board hoped some of the RIFs would be mitigated by Title I federal funding, but that funding had not yet been announced.[18] Smith said, "The cuts you may see will not be affecting the instructional program. We may look at delaying repair on the roof, or some other structural issues we have in the district. But not in the instructional program. That would be the last thing we'd try to cut."[19]

Other school districts in the state were affected by declining enrollment and decreased state funding. The Kanawha County Board of Education announced there would be layoffs. In that district, 25 employees were let go at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.[20] Wood County Schools also announced layoffs due to declining enrollment. In that district, 54 employees were let go at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.[21]

Election trends

School Board Election Trends Banner.jpg
See also: School board elections, 2014

One new board member was elected to the board in the general election on May 10, 2016. There was the potential for a second one to join as well, but a challenger would have had to defeat the only incumbent in the race, and none did. Though two newcomers were elected to the board in the 2014 elections, no incumbents were defeated that year either. The new members took two open seats after two incumbents decided not to run for re-election.

The 2016 election's average of 2.5 candidates per seat was slightly higher than the average of two candidates who ran per seat in the district's 2010, 2012, and 2014 elections. The district's 2014 election garnered a higher average number of candidates than the average of 1.86 who ran per school board seat on the ballot in West Virginia's largest school districts in 2014.

No school board seat in Cabell County school district's elections in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 was unopposed. Overall in West Virginia, 10.71 percent of seats were unopposed in 2014.

Candidate survey

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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey.
Click here to view or fill out the survey.

About the district

See also: Cabell County Schools, West Virginia
Cabell County Schools is located in Cabell County, W.Va.

Cabell County Schools is located in Cabell County in western West Virginia. The county seat is Huntington. Cabell County was home to 97,109 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[22] The district was the fifth-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 12,335 students.[23]

Demographics

Cabell County outperformed West Virginia as a whole in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 25.8 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 18.3 percent of state residents. The median household income in Cabell County was $38,374, compared to $41,043 for the entire state. The poverty rate was 22.2 percent, while it was 17.9 percent statewide.[22]

Racial Demographics, 2014[22]
Race Cabell County (%) West Virginia (%)
White 91.3 93.7
Black or African American 5.1 3.6
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.2 0.2
Asian 1.2 0.8
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.00 0.00
Two or More Races 2.1 1.6
Hispanic or Latino 1.4 1.5

Cabell County Party Affiliation,
January 2016[24]
Party Registered Voters % of Total
Democratic 26,130 47.81%
Libertarian 155 0.28%
Mountain 68 0.12%
Republican 17,705 32.40%
Other 598 1.09%
No Party 9,994 18.29%

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Cabell County Schools' 'West Virginia'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

Cabell County Schools West Virginia School Boards
School Board badge.png
Seal of West Virginia.png
School Board badge.png

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cabell County Clerk, "2016 Candidate Filings," accessed February 1, 2016
  2. 2.0 2.1 Cabell County Schools, "Board," accessed February 1, 2016
  3. 3.0 3.1 Cabell County Clerk, "2016 Primary Election Results," accessed May 10, 2016
  4. 4.0 4.1 West Virginia Legislature, "Chapter 18. Education: Article 5. County Board Of Education," accessed February 1, 2016
  5. The Herald-Dispatch, "Live Election Night Results," accessed May 10, 2016
  6. Tiffany Rouse, "Phone communication with Cabell County Voter Registration Department," June 18, 2015
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 West Virginia Election Dates and Deadlines," accessed February 1, 2016
  8. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Offices on the 2016 Ballot," accessed February 1, 2016
  9. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Offices on the 2016 Ballot," accessed February 18, 2016
  10. West Virginia Legislature, "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan," accessed February 18, 2016
  11. West Virginia Legislature, "House of Delegates District Map," accessed February 18, 2016
  12. 12.0 12.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Campaign Finance Report Deadlines," accessed February 24, 2016
  13. The Herald-Dispatch, "Editorial: Chapman, Parsons merit election to school board," April 25, 2016
  14. The Herald-Dispatch, "Campaign Trails: Groups announce endorsements for W.Va. candidates," April 19, 2016
  15. West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Best Practices Guide for Campaign Finance," accessed April 4, 2016
  16. 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 The Herald-Dispatch, "Cabell BOE candidates ready to tackle issues," April 15, 2016
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Blaze, "Middle School Reduces Bad Behavior Dramatically With ‘Reverse Suspensions’ That Invite Parents to School When Students Misbehave," May 2, 2016
  18. 18.0 18.1 The Herald-Dispatch, "Cabell school board approves layoffs, transfers," February 24, 2016
  19. 19.0 19.1 WSAZ, "Cabell County Schools plan job cuts and transfers," February 3, 2016
  20. Metro News, "Kanawha County Schools to layoff 25 employees at school year’s end," February 18, 2016
  21. The News Center, "Update: Wood County "RIF's" Continue," February 24, 2015
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 United States Census Bureau, "Cabell County, West Virginia," accessed February 8, 2016
  23. National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
  24. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Totals," accessed February 8, 2016